Closet Secrets
by panners
Summary: Misunderstandings involving Shin and Yankumi leave their friends with a very wrong impression about the two of them... ShinKumi


My first ever one shot and first ever Gokusen fic -- inspired by Volume 7, Chapter 1 and the rest of the school trip chapters from the mangaverse, although this is also compatible with the dramaverse.

Hope you guys enjoy this virgin fic of sorts, and hopefully understand the pun to the title after reading this.

Standard disclaimers apply. (Finished on 11/2/08)

Special thanks to Arashinobara Jikkankakyoku and Legendary Chimera for reminding me of my mistake :)

* * *

**Closet Secrets**

_by Panners_

* * *

The day of the long awaited annual Shirokin school trip to Okinawa had finally arrived, leaving Shin and his friends in a very agreeable mood which could not even be dampened by the cramped flight to their destination followed by the arduous bus trip around Okinawa in their search for a hotel. Shin supposed this was all due to the excitement of spending three days and two nights with his friends in a place far from home. Although he would never dare admit it to his friends, it may also be due to the excitement of spending three days and two nights with Yankumi in a place far from home. 

His agreeable mood, however, was not to last for long.

Upon arriving at the sparsely furnished hotel room that he was to share with Kuma, Shin threw open his sports bag and began unpacking, which he had the habit of doing for he liked his items organised neatly. Yet, as his eyes made a mental checklist of what should be there, Shin realised that a very important item was missing.

Of all the things he could have forgotten to bring to the school trip, he had to forget _this_.

_This cannot be happening_, thought Shin reassuringly to himself, for he knew that it was simply unlike him to forget anything -- especially an item of such importance.

Just to be certain, he decided that he should double check and make sure that he really did forget to bring it before he started thinking of a way to obtain said item. Pulling his bag closer to him, he tipped the rest of its contents onto his bed, cool eyes revolving around the mess and fingers flipping each fold of the bag over in the hope that it was there.

On his bed lay his toothbrush, his towel, a jacket, a camera, and even a cap -- and he didn't even wear caps.

But -- _it_ wasn't there.

Cursing to himself, he wondered how he was going to be able to get it...

... Without embarrassing himself.

* * *

Shin would have to do it before anyone else found out. He was a clever boy, and certainly wasn't known as the school genius for nothing. Before long, he had thought up a plan to obtain what he needed -- and probably without anyone else knowing about it either. 

Closing the door to the room behind him as he slipped out quietly, he could see (and hear) Ucchi and the rest of his friends crowded around Yankumi and arguing with her as he drew nearer to the crowd. It seemed to him that Yankumi was being her usual hypervigilant self. He knew her well -- probably more so than he would ever dare to admit. He knew that she was probably worried about her students' safety (as usual), which was why she had taken to patrolling around the corridor where Class 3-D's rooms were -- just in case they decided to enjoy Okinawa's nightspots, which was exactly what they seemed to be arguing about.

"Aww, c'mon, Yankumi!" cried Ucchi, scrunching up his face and his fists in a rather similar fashion. "We came all the way here just ta stay cooped up in some crappy three star hotel?"

"I can't let you guys go out for safety reasons!" replied Yankumi. He could tell that she meant their safety as much as the public's safety.

"Man, what the hell are we supposed ta do in this dumb hotel?" retorted Minami, shoving his face into Yankumi's in what was supposed to be a threatening manner. "_MATHS_?!"

"Why not use your time properly," Yankumi did not flinch, "and take a shower before dinner? You won't have much time afterwards with the 9 pm curfew..."

"WHAT?!" cried his friends, looking affronted. "9 pm curfew?! We're not bloody babies!"

Seeing the prefect opportunity arise, Shin decided it was time to put his plan in motion and slip out of the hotel while Yankumi was distracted (unintentionally) by his friends. He usually blended very well into the background (save for his red hair), and unless he spoke, he usually went without notice even by his close friends in Class 3-D. Combining his innate qualities and the opportunity offered by his friends, Shin knew that it was now or never.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING, SAWADA?!"

His friends all turned around to find that their leader had drifted past them without them even noticing, gaping in awe at how swift and silent Shin could be when he wanted to be. Cursing to himself, Shin wondered how Yankumi managed to see him when her back was turned to him. For a fleeting moment, he theorised that she could possibly have eyes at the back of the head -- how else could she have seen him? How else could she have caught that pachinko ball in their very first lesson?

"Shin, man, we were waiting for ya! Let's just go and --" began Kuma.

"-- and get dinner?" finished Shin. His friends all looked at him as if he had suddenly become stupid.

"But Shin, didn't we say that we were gonna go out and --" continued Noda.

"-- get dinner?" finished Shin in a slightly exasperated tone. He hoped his friends were going to take the hint. "Can you guys save me some too? There's just something I need to do before dinner."

"Aww... man," sighed Kuma, giving up. There was no refusing Shin. Their little coup d'etat to sneak into the local nightlife wasn't going to work without Shin as their leader anyway. "We'll save ya a spot too, okay?"

"Good, thanks."

Yankumi simply looked flabbergasted as his friends instantly retreated to the dining hall.

"What the -- how do you do that?!" Yankumi exclaimed. "Teach me! Teach me!"

Shin could see another opportunity presenting itself. It was time to make his move once they were out of earshot.

"Now that I've helped you," whispered Shin, leaning closer to Yankumi. "I think it's time that you help me."

The frown on Yankumi's face told Shin that she knew exactly that he was up to no good when he made such a request.

"W-what..?! I didn't ask you to help!" stammered Yankumi, looking very nervous at the shrinking distance between them as Shin continued to move in for the kill.

"Then perhaps I should tell them all that we should be out there enjoying the night spots instead of having gruel for dinner?" breathed Shin, now only inches from her face.

"Are you threatening me?" Yankumi's eyes narrowed dangerously as her glasses glinted.

"No," sighed Shin, pulling away. That had not been his intention; it was more to put her in his debt. "I just need your help."

"Oooh, is that it?"

_Gotcha._

Yankumi's eyes instantly sparkled at the words 'need your help'. "How can I help my lovely little student?"

Although slightly irked by how blatantly Yankumi referred to him as merely a student, _and_ a LITTLE student at that, Shin couldn't help but feel a certain smugness at how easily he could read Yankumi. All they needed to do was just to ask for her help, and he was sure she would walk to the ends of the earth for them if she had to.

Maybe that was why he liked her so much.

"Let me go out."

"Oh... WHAT?!" cried Yankumi, backpedalling towards the wall.

"I meant go out to the city, not go out... with you," sighed Shin resignedly.

"What for?" Yankumi's eyes now narrowed in a suspicious fashion.

"I ... need to buy _something_."

"Yeah, right," snorted Yankumi. "You can do better than that, Sawada."

"I'm serious!" cried Shin desperately. Yankumi seemed rather surprised by his sharp tone. She now looked a little unsure with herself now, for she knew full well that Shin usually wasn't one to cry wolf.

"What do you need to buy? I'll come with you."

"Don't come with me," muttered Shin. He couldn't imagine the situation getting worse. Of all the people he did not want to know about this, Yankumi had to be number one on the list. He knew her like the back of his hand and knew she was probably on fire with the zealous ambition of helping each and every one of her students in need in every possible way.

She wasn't going to let him off until he confided everything to her.

"Why not? You're my student and I'm your teacher --" Shin made an inaudible sigh "-- and it's my obligation to make sure you're all safe and well on this trip!"

"Please don't --" winced Shin.

"C'mon! What do you need to buy?"

"It's just at the convenience store, and I--"

"What do you need?!" persisted Yankumi -- for once you pop, you can't stop.

"The thing is -- I --"

"Just spill it!"

" -- I forgot to bring my underwear," he whispered, mortified.

"EH?!"

Yankumi's eyes widened for a second before she started laughing so hard that he bet she could be heard by his friends in the dining hall. He felt the colour drain from his face and his heart sink.

Suddenly, burying himself in a ditch seemed very appealing.

"And here I was," snorted Yankumi, "Thinking you were more clever than that."

"What do you mean by that?" frowned Shin.

"There are _other_ ways to obtain underwear," snickered Yankumi, looking very proud.

"And, pray tell, how could I magically create underwear from a void of anti-matter?" asked Shin wryly.

"For starters, you could always turn it inside out and wear it again!"

"That's disgusting."

"Well, Tetsu does that when the laundry hasn't dried," shrugged Yankumi. Shin wondered what kind of effect did growing up in a household of men do to her, and whether she would do the same thing if _she _had run out of underwear. "Or you could borrow someone else's!"

"That's even more disgusting," sighed Shin, "and it's not like they don't need it either."

Sometimes, he wished that Yankumi's mind worked in a more logical way.

"Alright then," said Yankumi cheerfully. "If that's the case, then I'll accompany you to the convenience store!"

"You don't need to come, I'm a big boy -- "

"I have to make sure that all my students are safe!" cried Yankumi, eyes shining in anticipation. "What if you get robbed, or beaten, or kidnapped, or ra--"

"Alright, alright! I get the hint!"

He knew that she would've insisted on coming along anyway.

Maybe that was why he liked her so much.

* * *

As it turned out, Yankumi had an ulterior motive for accompanying him to the convenience store; it was certainly not just for the sake of Shin's safety. 

"Thank goodness you needed to come," grinned Yankumi, as she walked up the confectionery aisle, gathering packets of lollies and chips into her basket. "Otherwise I wouldn't have a valid reason for leaving the hotel."

"You were using me?" growled Shin, now wishing he didn't go to all that trouble to explain his dire situation to Yankumi when he really had no need to.

"Well, it'll be very selfish and hypocritical of me to go to the city just to buy snacks when you guys aren't allowed, right?"

"Yes, it would be," muttered Shin. "Maybe_ you_ should have explained to me so I didn't have to tell... tell.."

Shin faltered, and remembering how mortifying it was to admit that he forgot to bring his undergarments, decided that it was best not to mention this incident again in the hope that Yankumi will forget about it.

Yankumi did not seem to be listening, for her face was screwed in concentration, mentally calculating which drinks were most economical to purchase.

"I'll grab some drinks first and then we're going, okay?" she muttered distractedly, waving him off.

Shin nodded and made his way to a corner of the convenience store where packets of boxers were sold, grateful that she wasn't going to insist on helping her students to the best of her abilities by choosing the actual undergarments for him. The store seemed to stock only the blandest of boxers and briefs; dull coloured and unappealing.

Not that Shin really cared, and as he reached out to grab the nearest three-pack of dull grey boxers...

"I think you should get these ones," said a cheerful voice behind him.

Shin nearly jumped, and turning around, realised that it was just Yankumi, arms loaded with drinks and an assortment of junk food.

"What the hell are you doing?!" cried Shin, who, healthy as he was, nearly had a heart attack.

"Why, helping you with your fashion problems, of course!" exclaimed Yankumi, eyes wide in surprise at Shin's hostile reaction. Shin thought that statement was a bit rich, coming from a woman where tracksuits were the staple of her wardrobe. "Grey is too dull. You should've chosen this one!"

Shin stared at where she was pointing, and felt his heart skip a beat.

It was a packet of boxers with gigantic prints of bright red hearts, a pack that he hadn't noticed.

"Why those?" asked Shin, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. Did Yankumi mean anything when she chose those boxers above all others?

"Well..." began Yankumi slowly. "Those boxers... they have hearts on them..."

"I noticed," breathed Shin.

"And those hearts are red..."

Shin held his breath.

"Which means..."

Shin could feel his heart start to beat erratically.

"It's fast."

"What?!"

That was NOT the answer he had been expecting.

"C'mon," said Yankumi, looking affronted. "You did physics, right? You know what red shift is, right?! You should know that red is the fastest colour!"

"You're telling be to get boxers with red _hearts_ on them because they're fast?!"

"What else could they possibly mean?!"

Shin sighed and slapped his forehead, wondering how on earth a woman could be so dense. Maybe that was what happened when one grew up in a household of men.

"I think I'll stick with these, thanks," muttered Shin, grabbing the grey boxers.

"Red is fast!" insisted Yankumi, pulling the grey pack out of his hands and shoving the bright red hearts into them instead. "Why else do you think I wear red tracksuits?!"

Shin paused for a second.

Well, Yankumi _did_ choose them for him, regardless of what meaning they were, and no one was going to see them anyway...

Sighing, he took the packet with the red hearts to the counter.

* * *

"Help me with these, will you?" asked Yankumi. Her arms were loaded with bags of snacks and drinks, leaving Shin wondering how on earth two women would be able to finish all that within three days. He took half of the bags from her, and together, they walked back to her hotel room, where he deposited the bags on the table. 

"There," he said. "I'm going to dinner now."

"Oh, yeah! We haven't had dinner yet!" gasped Yankumi, who had forgotten how hungry she was getting. "Let's go!"

Together, they left the room, and just as Yankumi locked the door behind her, Shin's friends arrived back from dinner. Shin looked at his watch; he had no idea it had taken him so long to convince Yankumi, and then to return from their little expedition convenience store.

"There ya are, Shin!" said Kuma happily. "Where were ya at dinner? We even saved ya a seat!"

Shin could see his friends' eyes travel suspiciously from Yankumi's room, then to Yankumi locking the door of the room, and then to Shin.

"Er... I was," began Shin, trying to think of a convincing story that involved neither underwear nor leaving the hotel into Okinawa's nightlife.

"What were ya doing in Yankumi's room?" piqued Noda, raising the issue that was on everyone's minds.

"I... I... was..." muttered Shin. "Having maths tutoring."

His friends looked absolutely unconvinced.

"During dinner?" continued Minami, looking skeptical.

"Um, yeah," replied Shin. "It's embarrassing, really."

He meant that from the bottom of his heart.

"All alone, in Yankumi's room?" pressed Ucchi.

"I --" continued Shin, feeling like he was being interrogated.

_How am I to get out of this one?_

"Hey, guys!" called Yankumi cheerfully from behind.

Shin turned around, feeling grateful that Yankumi was going to pull him out of this mess by providing a distraction.

_Go on,_ pleaded Shin inwardly. _Tell them it was maths tutoring!_

"Did you know," she continued in her happy voice, "That..."

"What?"

"That Shin wears boxers with bright red hearts on them?!"

Shin felt his heart sink.

"Well, er, I'll just be going to dinner," continued Yankumi as she quickly sped off, leaving Shin to pick up his own mess.

Although she had managed to distract them for the time being, Shin knew he had more explaining to do than before as his friends closed in on him.

* * *

The next day, Shirokin had arranged for the boys to stay inside the hotel by booking out their swimming pool for the day as there was a general consensus amongst the staff that it was too dangerous to let the boys out for their free period. 

"I s'pose this is better than nuthin'," said Kuma, as they got changed into their swimming gear in the male changing rooms.

"Still a bit of sun and surf, huh," said Noda, pulling his shirt off. "Though I prefer a beach where there are gals..."

"... in bikinis," sighed Minami, wiping some blood from his nose.

The very image of Yankumi in a bikini made Shin snort as he changed into his board shorts.

"Eh... Shin," said Kuma. "What's so funny?"

Shin smirked, and again, the image of Yankumi in something less than a tracksuit, with all her four-eyed glory, popped up.

"No, it's nothing, really," he chuckled, pulling off his trousers.

His friends all went quiet as he folded his trousers up and began to pull his top off.

"What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly aware of all the attention his friends were paying him -- and his nether regions.

"Ya know," said Kuma thoughtfully. "Yankumi was right..."

"... You do wear boxers with big red hearts," said Ucchi, who had already finished changing and was pulling a swimming cap on.

"And so...?" asked Shin cautiously, making sure that his tone of voice gave nothing away.

His friends were now staring at his boxers in awe, and Shin knew exactly what was going to happen -- their enlightened faces gave it all away.

Shin had diverted them away from him to get dinner. Shin was not present at dinner. Shin and Yankumi were caught leaving her room together after dinner. Yankumi knew the exact pattern of Shin's boxers.

It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

"You were sleeping with Yankumi while we were at dinner, weren't you?" asked Noda.

* * *

**The end!**

Reviews loved and cherished. Please alert me to any mistakes made :)

Anyway, I thought I should make additional notes on this story (1st March 08):

The title: Close Secrets is a pun. 'Closet', in the most literal sense, refers to Shin forgetting his underwear (clothing comes from a closet, correct?), and he preferring to keep it a secret -- hence Closet Secrets. The other meaning behind it is that 'closet' often refers to taboo subjects (eg. closet gay, skeletons in the closet). Teachers sleeping with students is pretty taboo, and Yankumi supposedly sleeping with Shin can be considered as such -- hence Closet (taboo) Secrets.

Red is the fastest colour: From my meager knowledge of physics, all I can recall from it is red shift. If you're interested, you can always search Wikipedia for red shift. Red shift, in the most simplest terms from a physics noob such as myself, means that red is the fastest colour, and blue is the slowest. Or something to that effect. And since Yankumi's not a physics teacher, that's about all she can recall too.


End file.
